The Three Key Things You Need To Learn To Be a Successful Woman in Business

There are endless tests and assessments that you can take online that supposedly show your ability to do well in business. While they can help you to think about the areas that you do and don’t do well in, does it mean that you can’t go into business, simply because you didn’t score high enough in a certain section of the test? Not at all! The reason being, a lot of these tests ask a lot of cliched questions like ‘are you a good motivator’ or ‘ are you creative’? In everyday life, how are you meant to know if you are or not? They can be things that are hard to measure and are pretty subjective. So what should you as a women in business be looking for, in order to succeed?

Some of the best things to be developing in order to achieve in business, are:

Good Business Attitude

Simply put, this is learning to not quit when the tough gets going. Starting and running a business can be busy and hard work. It is easy to see why more people prefer to be an employee, rather than the boss. But if you have the start of a good business attitude, then it is going to stand you in good stead as you embark on your business career.

This can have a little to do with who you are in general. For example, if you’re generally on the more negative side of things, then you will see any setbacks as just that. Leading to you perhaps feeling down and a little defeated. But a true entrepreneurial spirit is to keep going and to learn from the mistakes or setbacks. Being naturally optimistic can help with this, as you’ll naturally look for the brighter side of things and look for an alternative. So think about how you currently deal with setbacks and what you can do to change your outlook.

Networking

One of the best business skills that you can have is the ability to network well. If you are able to talk to a large variety of people, talk to them about business, and build relationships that you can call on later down the line, then it is going to be a really good business skill to have. It can help you to find new contacts, clients, deals, and even employees. This doesn’t mean you have to be the life and soul of the party. You can ‘fake it until you make it’ in terms of chatting to people, as it doesn’t come easy to everyone. But talk, listen, be approachable, and give out a card. Then follow up with the people you have met, and go from there.

It may take some time and dedication to improving personal reputation if you have made some decisions before in business that haven’t been the best and possibly needed to start again. But it is going to be worth your time. It is also a good idea to think about your presence online and what you can be doing to improve that. Simply because it is a vital networking tool, especially if you are a mom and can’t get out to every event or business fair that there ever was.

Being Objective

Having a thick skin, and learning to be objective is a great skill for any business woman. If you let your emotions get in the way of things, then it could lead to you making irrational decisions that could be the downfall of your business. It is something that really needs to be a practiced skill, for both men and women.

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One of the hardest things that we as women have to face is criticism. And knowing the fine line between constructive criticism and actual just plain, harsh criticism can be tricky. Naturally, if we presume people are being plain old rude about us, then it instantly leads to us getting defensive. In business, you can’t just get mad when someone is giving constructive criticism. If it is not constructive, then it can be dealt with, in an appropriate way. But being able to listen and take on advice, will put you up in a lot of people’s estimations, as it shows a really good trait and that you’re willing to learn and to improve.

So if you are thinking of getting your own business up and going, then one of the first things to do is to speak to other people, perhaps family and friends, or perhaps colleagues, and talk to them about their challenges in their jobs and careers in general, as well as the success that they have had. When you speak to someone else and really listen to them, then you can learn from them and make sure that your start in business is a good one. Talk to people you trust about your business ideas too. This is the first step to building up a network of people around you that can help and support you in your business.

Learn to keep going and not give up. If you get turned down for funding by the first lender, then it doesn’t mean that all of them will. Listen to others and what they are saying. But not giving up means that you can just adjust things, rather than giving up on the idea completely. Think about other people’s point of view, and go from there. A woman’s intuition has a lot to say about it, though. So do listen, but take calculated risks from your gut feelings too.

If you’re wanting to evaluate if you have got what it takes to do well as a woman in business, then you should be avoiding online quizzes and tests, and instead of answering questions, you should be the one that is asking questions, particularly of women you know already doing what you want to do and doing it well. Just listen, take on advice, remain objective, and maintain a thick skin; you’re gonna need it!

Hey there! I'm Abby - a coffee addicted life coach /educator/blogger/mama with a creative soul + passionate heart. My goal is to inspire and encourage passionate women to live a life fulfilled through self-care, a healthy lifestyle, mindfulness, and personal development. Read More…